Playing their first league game since beating Columbus 3-0 on June 5 at PPL Park, the Union looked refreshed, crisp and had a spring in their step.

Meanwhile the Red Bulls, who had been off for the last 22 days, looked rusty and out of sync. Passes were off, there were communication breakdowns, defensive lapses and they were undisciplined.

The Union capitalized as Conor Casey netted a pair of goals to spark a key 3-0 win over the rival Red Bulls on Sunday before a sellout crowd of 19,013 fans at a rowdy PPL Park.

“It was a big break,” said Union defender Sheanon Williams, who had an assist on the first goal. “Anytime you have those big breaks you want to make sure that the game you come back is a good one and you start where you left off. And I think we did that – at least with league games.”

The Union, who started the day in fifth place in the Eastern Conference 22 points, improved to 7-5-4 and moved into a tie for second place with the Red Bulls (7-6-4).

After missing the playoffs and finishing in eighth place last season, the Union are in the thick of the conference race at the midpoint of the schedule.

“To be honest going into the season I thought it was going to be a rebuilding year,” Union defender Amobi Okugo said. “We have just exceeded expectations. … The guys are stepping up and we are reaping the rewards.”

Picking right up where they left off from the decisive victory over the Crew – and fortunately forgetting about their listless 3-1 loss to D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup on June 12, the Union took it to the rusty Red Bulls from the opening tap.

Casey thought he put the Union on the board in the fourth minute by finishing a gorgeous feed from Jack McInerney from midfield but the goal was nullified due to an offside. However, Casey responded three minutes later with a head ball on a cross from Williams.

The Union kept the pressure on and received a gift when Lloyd Sam was ejected in the 28th minute with a red card after a hard foul on Danny Cruz. The Red Bulls, who were already without starters Tim Cahill, Jamison Olave and Juninho, still had the dangerous Thierry Henry and refused to pack it in. They remained on the offensive – and even had a goal taken back due to an offside.

The game wasn’t securely in the Union’s hands until the 64th minute when Casey gave the Union some breathing room with his fifth of the season by knocking home a rebound.

“We came out well and when we played D.C. (in the Open Cup) we didn’t come out well at all,” Casey said. “That was something we wanted to correct this week and we did. Unfortunately once they went down a man we eased off a bit but we came back out in the second half and put our foot back on them.”

Sebastien Le Toux re-took the league lead in assists with seven by setting up Antoine Hoppenot to cap the night in the 89th minute for the Union. Left off the score sheet for the second straight game – and Union victory – was McInerney, who is tied for the league lead in goals yet just couldn’t finish on multiple chances.

But on a night when goalie Zac MacMath didn’t need to make a save and the defense recorded its second straight clean sheet and fourth of the year, his services weren’t needed and the rested Union climbed into second place with New York.

“Hopefully we are going to be a team that fights all year, plays quality soccer and will be there at the end,” Union head coach John Hackworth said. “It was just one game but it was a really important game.”